Hello. As I glanced at the photo of the Statue of Liberty with the burning WTC behind it, I was taken back to that horrific day of September 11th. I have a cousin that worked in the Twin Towers and she was badly burned on half of her body. Anyway, thats a whole other subject. I am originally from New York, and for me, whenever I had a chance to glance over to the Statue of Liberty from time to time when I used to live there, she reminded me of so many things that I hold dear to my heart that it never mattered what color she was or what she was wearing. She represents the strength of Americans and our endurance. She can be White, Black, Red or Yellow. No matter, because she stands for us all. By the way, this summer, I had the opportunity to visit the Statue of Liberty. She is still wonderful. I have pictures, but they are not very good.

Sheila Velasquez
Soc.595

On Sunday, November 2, 2003, jeanne responded:

Sheila, I want to show you how to take on those pictures and turn them into the memories you reflect here. Please bring me one, or send me one by e-mail. jeanne

Since I didn't have one of your photos, and am not sure what memories you wish to evoke, I demonstrated this with one of Katie's photos that I had. I cut just a little piece of the photo, which I put into PAINT, a software program that comes free with WINDOWS. Then I painted what Katie had told me about her mother's love of that tap dancing costume. Saved it. And here it is. That's my writing, not Katie's. Katie will have to call up katie12.jpg and do her own.

Go back and find those memories while you have them. You'll prize them one day.

Also, we want to turn your submission into one that reflects the conceptual learning in class. How does this remembrance of September 11, your cousin, your feelings about the Statue of Liberty, how does all that fit into answerability, illocutionary discourse and alterity?

Then review for yourself, and/or the group you are working with, how answerability fits into your cousin's unbidden fate in the WTC and the sense of injustice that prevails when the innocent are harmed in the name of the "right." What prevents answerability in that case is the overwhelming physical power to prevent the voice of the Other, the victim, from being heard.

Consider also the importance of icons such as the Statue of Liberty. How does her immutability serve to reassure us when we are denied actual answerability? Consider that she stands for the answer of the Others who come to our shores seeking equality and justice. But don't forget to consider also the hypocrisy of that iconology when we fail to meet the promise.

Then consider how the visit last summer contributed to a renewal of your faith in the right of each to answer the monologic nonanswerability of the force of those would conquer. See above how you can use your photos, perfect or no, to sanction and support your own faith in answerability.